An Opportunity for Closeness to Allah
As we sprint through the blessed month of Ramadhan, the spring of righteousness, let’s avail these golden moments to achieve our heartfelt desire, Divine closeness. In this blog, I invite you to sit in the retreat (I’tikaf).
Our religious life can be compared to a metaphor of a sailing ship. If the wind fills its sails, the ship moves steadily forward. But when the wind stops, the ship drifts into the doldrums, and it gets stuck, unable to move forward or backwards. It’s stuck. This is a useful metaphor for the human spiritual condition, too. Some of us experience this when, for months or even years, we are standing still, and we experience no progress. Ramadhan has come to your rescue; you will regain movement and progress. It’s a season of spiritual renewal and an opportunity to grow and flourish. “The floodgates of Allah’s kindness are opened,” said the beloved master (peace be upon him).
Retreat in your Local Masjid
A’isha, the mother of believers (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him) used to go into retreat during the last ten days of Ramadhan; he continued this practice until he departed from this world, and after him, his wives used to do it” (Bukhari). I am fortunate, Alhamdulillah that every Ramadhan I sit in I’tikaf in my Masjid in Nottingham. It’s always been a transformative ten days and nights. I invite you to join me and experience it for yourself. I’tikaf means to isolate oneself, to devote oneself tirelessly to a task. We use it to mean staying in the masjid to worship Allah. Women can also sit in I’tikaf (retreat) at home by staying in one room or in a specific part of a room, which is reserved for prayer.
The retreat is an effective means for spiritual development since the devotee temporarily dissociates themselves from worldly affairs, spending their day and night immersed in remembrance of Allah, constantly praying, supplicating, reciting The Majestic Quran and meditating. They long and yearn to be near their Lord. This highly charged spiritual state of the devotee is graphically captured in Zad al-Maad (by Ibn al Jawziyyah), he says:
“The heart becomes attached to Allah, one attains inner composure and equanimity. The preoccupation with the mundane things of life ceases, and absorption in the eternal reality takes its place, and the state is reached in which all fears, hopes and apprehensions are superseded in the anxiety for Him, and every thought and feeling is blended with the eagerness to gain His nearness. Devotion to the Almighty is inculcated instead of devotion to the world; it becomes the provision for the grave where there will be neither a friend nor a helper. This is the lofty purpose of i’tikaf.”
The Blessings and Wisdom of I’tikaf
Shah Wali-Allah (a prominent 18th-century scholar) comments on the value of i’tikaf in these words: “I’tikaf in the masjid is a means to peace of mind and purification of the heart and it is an excellent opportunity for forging an identity with the angels and having a share in the barakah (spiritual benefit) of Laylat al-Qadr and for devoting oneself to prayer and meditation. This is a sunnah for the pious and virtuous slaves. The devotee in retreat can be likened to the beggar who sits at the gates of a king’s palace. He refuses to move until he is granted his wish; similarly, this devotee is practically saying: O Lord! Forgive my sins, for I shall not go away until I am cleansed.”
The Messenger (peace be upon him) described two benefits of i’tikaf, he said: “The devotee is protected from committing sins, and he gets the rewards of deeds like those who do them” (Ibn Majah). The first benefit: one is saved from sins, as being secluded for 24 hours a day in the clean environment of the masjid, he has no opportunity to be sinful. Secondly, his Generous Lord rewards him for deeds he is unable to perform, like visiting the sick, attending a funeral, serving parents and family, as though he did them.
The recommended (Sunnah) retreat is to stay the last ten days in the month of Ramadhan in your masjid. There must be at least one person in your locality who goes into I’tikaf. But there is also the desirable I’tikaf (Nafl). This is whenever a person enters the masjid and makes the intention of a short retreat. This lasts for as long as he remains inside and effectively has no minimum duration. This is an easy way of earning spiritual blessings, as the reward of all activities done in the masjid is multiplied.
Conclusion
The various practices of Ramadhan, particularly fasting and retreat, are perfectly designed by the Perfect Lord, beautiful and beauty-giving. Practising them guarantees positive results. The Almighty promises, “Those who strive to get nearer to Us, we will guide them and ensure that they achieve success, Allah is with the righteous” (Al-Ankabut:69).
Many people find themselves spiritually stuck, performing their daily prayers, reciting the Quran in the same way, and continuing routines without experiencing deeper growth or connection. If this sounds familiar, it may be time to pause, reassess, and re-engage with your faith in a more meaningful way. This Ramadhan, consider sitting in I’tikaf, a powerful opportunity to renew your relationship with Allah. A period of retreat in the masjid can transform the quality of your prayer, deepen your reflection, and help you engage with the Quran with greater understanding, especially by reading a translation such as The Majestic Quran. Stepping away from daily distractions allows the heart and mind to refocus on worship, reflection, and spiritual renewal. Why not try this retreat during Ramadhan? I’tikaf is a unique path to drawing closer to Allah and experiencing a renewed sense of purpose and devotion.
